Improvement in thermo-electric piles



. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. .0. WRAY 8v L. WRAY, Jr.

Thermo-Electrvd Piles.

Patented 6. 9 7., w o. N.

Wmme@ .2 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. WRAY 8u L. WRAY, Jr.

Thermo-Electric Piles.

No. 197,196. Patented Nov. 13, |877.

UNITED STATES onen. WEEE. AND LEoNARn wEAY,

PATENT ilusion.v

JR., OF RAMSGATE, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT. 1 N THERM o -ELEcTRlc PILES.-l

specification fqrming part of Letters Patent No. 197,196, dated-November 13, 1877, applicati@ Elea 'A February 12, 1877. A

To" all whom it may Be it known that we, CEGIL WRAY and LEONARD WRAY, Jr., both'of Rams'gate, `in

the county of Kent, England, have invented certain Improvements in Thermo Electric P i les,'of` which the following is a specification:

This invention of improvements in the con struction of thermo-electric piles relates to that class of electrical apparatus known as thermo-electric piles or batteries, and in which the thermo-electric bars or couples are arranged 'or built up in horizontal series around a heating-chamber.

electric piles of this description hitherto constructed have certain' defects, some 'of cal purposes.

To remedyV these defects is the object of the present invention, and the mode in which We eiifect this is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

' Figure 1 1s a vertical section of a thermoelectric pile ,constructed according toour in.

' any convenient diameter, and which may be made in sections, if desired. A Bunsen or other burner, b, is placed concentrically insidev this cylindrical or other casing, so as .to leave an annular space between the burner and the cylinder or'casin to-whieh space the external air, heated or otherwise, may vbe admitted 4"through openings c c, Fig. 1, at the lower end of the cylinder or other qcasing a.

i Inorderto regulate the admission of airto the annular space inside the cylinder a, an adjustable plate, d, is fitted to the gas-'supply pipe e in such a manner that it may be screwed up or down thereon; and in order .to morel equally distribute the gas or inammable vapor supplied to the burner and also to prevent the annoyance caused l) which" frequently occur in this class of burner on lighting or turning oii thegas or vapor, we

n.other suitable substance... Y. Instead f the cylinder a and burner b,

y the explosions employ a wire-,gauze cylinder, m, which` we place concentrically inside the burner b, as 4vshown at Fig. 1. Y.

The thermo-electric bars or couples. f f f f are arranged orbuilt up radially or otherwise around the 'heating-chamber a a, so` that one end of each barv or couple f shall abut against and be Iin contact with the outside of the cylindrical or other casing a, as shown at Figs. 1 and 3. f

1f preferred, lthe heating-chamber may be formed of metal, in which casewe coat or cover the outside of the metal heating-cham' ber with mica or other suitable non-conducting substance, uand the bars f f will abut against and' be' in contact with the mica or (shownin Fig..1,) we sometimes vemploy a heating-chamber made of.v iron or other suitable metal, and consisting .of a cylindrical or other shaped double vessel, (hollow in the center,) containing a heating medium or duid, such as oil, or a mixture of glycerine and 'chlo ride o f calcium, on an easily-fusible metal,

fwhich, on being heated 'by burning gas or other means, becomes suicientlyhot to heat the ends of the bars or couples upto the desired point; but in this case, and wheneverfwe use a metal to form the heating-chamber, we -coat or coverthe outside of the said metal tube or chamber with mica or other suitable non-conducting substance.

By constructing the apparatus in either of these manners, the injurious eiects caused by.. the inliuence of the external air and the damp, and also by the direct action of the flame of the gas or-vapor on the inner ends of the bars lor couples, .are'avoidedu The next improvement `relates to'the'mode of building up theI horizontal series or .layers of thermo-electric E bars ff; and consists in placing between `eacli kseries or layer of Vbars an annularv disk, plate, or ame, g, of a nonconducting substance. (Ine of these-disksor plates `g is'shown in planat Fig. 4 and yin sectio'n at Fig. 5. Itwill be seen that each one of these disks or plates gisprovided on one side with triangular or other shaped blocks or projections g g' g, of which there may be any convenientnumber.v `'.lhese blocks g' are irlat top with another plate.

tended to support the weight of the disks, plates, or frames g, carrying the bars f abovev them. It will be evident that the blocks or projections g g' may, if desired, be made sepa rate from the circular disks or plates g g, and may be built up thereon.

If desired, 'the tiers or bars f f may be divided into or built up in sections, vertical or otherwise, containing any convenient number of tiers or layers of bars. r

In Fig. l the pile is shown as composed of three sets of bars, and if more or lesspower. beprequired for any particular purpose, a seetion or sections may be added to or taken from the apparatus, so as to` increase or diminish the power of the pile, as desired. Thus a great saving will be effected in the transport of the apparatus and in the cost of repairing the same should any of the parts become broken or useless.

Binding-rods h h are made to pass through some of the blocks or projections g g on the disks or plates g, for the purpose of holdin g together the tiers of bars f j', forming thesections of the pile. The pile of bars thus made is placed on a foundation-plate, and is covered The two plates are then connected together by vertical tie or binding rods h h h', which will hold the several parts of the apparatus firmly together.

The next improvement relates to the form or forms given to the ends of the positive bars or plates 'i 'i our objects being, iirst, to obtain a good-metallic connection with the negative bars or plates f f second, to increase the electro-motive force of the current third,to lessen the resistance fourth, to very greatly strengthen the bars; and fifth, to secure a continuity of current even should a bar become fractured.

Moreover, by constructing the positive bars orplates'iinthe manner shown and hereinafter described, a large surface with but small elecF trical resistance is obtained, without unduly weakeningthe ends of the negative bars or plates f j'. The form or forms which we give .of a dovetail or dovetails having one or more perforations therein according tothe sizeof the bars ff and to the dovetail or dvetails on the connecting-piece i2, intended to connect the outer or cool end of the negative bar f to the end of the positive bar of the next pair. We provide an elongation or tongue, il, of varying length, according to the length of the bar f but in no case should the tongue be suficiently long to touch the dovetail at the heated end. After these positives 'i i are cut to the desired formV or forms, they are coated-(by.v electricity or otherwise) with anysuitablemetal or metals, [for the purpose of preventing the Hthig@ oxidation or decomposition of the metal of which they are made, and also for obtaining a more perfect metallic connection between the positive and negative bars but we do not bind ourselves always to employ this coating of the positive bars. ,The bars or platesmaybemade of any of the thermo-electric series of metals, substances, or alloys, and may also be constructed of any desired form or size. l

The positive and negative bars or plates are connected together by casting the latter on the former in suitable molds.

We would here remark that it should be clearly understood that the terms positive, and negative will naturally interchange or vary, according to the metals employed and their relative position (electrically) to each other, as is well known.

When the metals, substances, or alloys of which the bars are made are diiiicult to unite properly with each other, such as antimony and i ,bismuth we cast the positive and negative bars in pairs on apiece of iron or other suitable metal which will serve to connect them and carry thecurrent. This form of compound bar is shown at Fig.v8. The positive bar i* is made of a brittlepositive metal-say, bismuthand the negative bar f is made of a' brittle negative metal-say, antimony-and the two are connected together, as also the several pairs, by means ofthe thin iron or other metal plate i i, made with dovetails and elongated tails il il, which are cast into the thick bars, as shown at Figs. 6, 7, and 8.

In heating the pile of bars in these machines,

coke or other fuel may be used instead of gas, in which cases some of the parts will necessarily be modiiied in construction to suit the fuel to be so employed. Fig. 1l is an external elevation of an apparatus which is intendedto-beheated by means of coke or other solid fuel which is capable of being burned in a suitable lire-place provided with lire-bars. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section of the same. 'j

When the thermo-electric pile is intended to be heated by coke, charcoal, coal, or other suitable fuel, we construct the heating-chamber, by preference, of fire-clay or other refractory material, either in one piece or in sections, and of any desired form or size. In the drawing this chamber A is of a cylindrical form; Should this chamber be constructed of such a refractory material as iron or other metal, an

.insulating is interposed between it and 'the ends of the bars-that isto say, the metal'may be surrounded by an envelope of of talc-or other suitable substance. Around and abutting against the outer sides of this furnace or heated chamberA the thermo-electric bars or couples f f are arranged radially vor otherwise in tiers or inv sections, as before l mentioned, so that they may receive the heat given out by the refractory material while the reis burning.

entirely novel and distinctive feature in.

this particular apparatus is the manner in which' the fire-chamber A is constructed. It ltive bars ii may be temporarily attached to vis provided with a vertical opening which extends from top to bottom, and is provided' with a door or doors, j j', for obtaining access to the interior of the fire-place and ascertaining from time to time the condition of the fire, and for regulating the saine. These doors serve also for facilitating the removal of clinkers, and for general stoking purposes. The fire-chamber is also provided with iire or grate bars k, as well as with vertical bars l,

. at the vertical opening, and some of these bars are made movable.

The fire-chamber A is provided likewise with a lid or cover, m', at the top, and chimney n to carry off the products of combustion and smoke..

rlhe doors j j may be made of iron lined with fire-clay or some similar material, and some of the panels of the doors may have open-v ings made therein and covered with talc, so that the attendant may be enabled to see the state of the fire and how the combustion is proceeding, without opening the' door. The ash-pit is also provided with doors o o.

It will be seen on referring to Fig. 12 that the'bars ff are divided into five vertical sets arranged radially round theiire-place A. Each layer of A bars of which these vertical sets are composed is divided from those above and below it by' means of segmental pieces g, made of earthenware or some other suitable nonconducting material, and at e'aeh end of these segments are the blocks or projections g' g', for supporting the segmental piece immediately above, so as to take the weight oii the bars ff, as in the formerinstance. Each vertical set of bars is held together by means of 'pairs of rods, which pass through the blocks g', as at l1, in Fig. 1, so that any of the vertical sets of bars can be removed without in-l terfering with the others, and the whole'apparatus is held together between top and bottom plates, which are secured together by the binding or tie rods h h.

The arrangement of apparatus shown lat Figs. l1 and 12 will be found convenient when great power is required, and when the appa: ratus is intended to be stationary; but .the arrangement shown at Figs. 1 and 2 will bev foundmore convenient when only a moderate power is required, and it lcan be moved with greaterfacilityandlessliabilitytoderangement than the other. In some cases, as when it becomes necessary to remove the -apparatus from one place to another, it is desirable to support and hold steady the outer ends of the thin positive bars i t'. necting them to wooden uprights pp, as

Ashown at Figs. 9 and 10. In these iigures l the outer ends of the thin metal bars 'i i are shown as being clamped or nipped between two wooden bars, which are drawn together by meansof short screw-bolts; but, if preferred, the projecting ends of the thin posi- This is eifected by conhaving explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, wev claim- 1. The combination of the cylindrical or.

other shaped casing a, made of or-coated with earthenwa're or other suitable insulating material, and constituting a central cylindrical or other suitably-shaped heating-chamber, with any number of thermo-electric bars f arranged radially around' it in such a manner that their "inner ends will abut against and be in direct contact with the heated snrface of the central heating-chamber or its insulating envelope, as and for the purpose substantially as hereln set forth.

2. The central cylindrical or other suitablyformed heating-chamber, constructed with a vertical opening, whichis closed by doors j j, as shown at Figs. 11 and 12, when thesaid chamber is heated by means of solid fuel, such as charcoal, coal, or coke.

'3. The combination of a number of thermoelectric bars in horizontal layers or vertical series, with horizontal insulating disks or plates between them, and provided with blocks or projections to support the superincumbent weight, the whole being arranged and bound together as herein set forth, so that a thermoelectric pile Amay be formed of any convenient number of sections, accordin gto the required power, instead of being formed of a large number of loose or separate thermo-electric bars, as heretofore.

4. The combination, with the separating or insulating disks, plates, or frames g, of the blocks g', which may be either fixed on or form part of the said disks, plates, or frames, or maybe detached therefrom, and separately built up thereon, for the purpose of supporting the snperincnmbent weight, and relieving the thermo-electric bars f from nnduepressure, as shown and described in reference to Figs;- 4and 5.

f, -of apositive bar, "i, provided with an enlarged or dovetailed end, as and for the purpose herein setforth. A

v6. The combination, with the negative bars f, of connectingpieces i2, provided with-elongated tails or ends, which are inserted in the negative bars, as and for the purposes herein set forth and .described in reference to Figs. 6, 7, and 8. i

1 Dated the-13th day of December, 1876.

GEGIL WRAY. L. WRAY, JR.

Witnesses:

Clins. BERKLEY HARRIS,

JOHN DEAN,

Both of 17 GracechurchvStreet, London. 

